Without Djokovic in the Game - Kathy Figueroa

Way down south in Aussie Land
We now know where the unvaxxed stand -
If trying to cross that border
They’ll be deported in short order

It doesn’t matter if you’re a tennis star
That’s come to play, and travelled far
To participate in the Australian Open
The Australian Border Force has now spoken

Novak Djokovic is a tennis hero
But to Aussie PM Scott Morrison, he’s a zero
Novak’s tested positive for COVID-19 in the past
And his natural immunity should indefinitely last

But they won’t let him enter the land “down under”
“No vax? No pass!” they proclaim and thunder
The 2022 Australian Open won’t be the same
Without Novak Djokovic in the game

Kathy Figueroa


Image : Pixabay - Tumisu

Urban Child - Diane Scantlebury

I played in the streets of London
An urban child in a happy place,
Where houses were tall
With linoleum floors and dank basements,
And racism could hide its ugly face,

On sunny days after school
We’d skip and hop over pavement cracks,
While the landlady polished the door,
Waiting for dad to ride home on his bike
I was unaware then that we were poor,

Every Saturday there’d be a wedding or a dance,
Mum in her stilettos
Dad in his starched, white shirt and shiny suit,
Blue beat and calypso music
Would spill out into the inky night,
They’d celebrate
But long for their Caribbean roots,

With the luxury of innocence
I can look back on my early London days,
Invited to work, but not welcome
It must’ve been hard for dad and mum,
To keep my life full of love and laughter,
While they toiled hard
To escape from the slum,

For what they achieved I’m grateful
And will be eternally glad,
For isn’t it the dream and hope
Of our immigrant parents to give their children,
A better chance in life
Than they’d had?

Diane Scantlebury